A/N: I know the site was being a "B with an itch!" the other day and some of you might have missed chapter 129. Make sure to go back and read it… vital information was revealed within!

Adam pulled the bag of pretzels from the cupboard and set them on the counter while Lindsay sidestepped him to put an ice cube tray back in the freezer. She closed the freezer and moved a little so he could open the fridge to retrieve the summer sausage he'd picked up earlier that morning. He set it on the counter and she handed him a knife to cut the wrapper before she turned and grabbed a cup of applesauce and set it in front of Colton. Adam grabbed a cutting board and Lindsay handed him a plate and it wasn't until he went looking for the crackers that their rhythm was thrown off and they ran into each other.

"Hey babe," Adam said, forgetting the crackers and pulling her into his arms.

"Hey."

She slid her arms around his neck and smiled when his forehead met hers.

"What were we thinking when we invited everyone over here for New Years?"

"I think we were thinking it was our turn."

"Oh that."

She smiled and gave him a mischievous look before undoing the top button on his shirt and pressing a kiss to his chest.

"You think you can get away with that?"

"Yes," she whispered, trailing her lips up his neck, around his jaw, and everywhere except where he wanted her.

"You're an evil woman and you must be punished," he half growled, backing her up against the counter and kissing her as thoroughly as he could in front of young eyes. She upped the ante by hooking her fingers through his belt loops and drawing him closer. He had to press his hands to the counter to regain his balance and doing so only closed the last measure of space between them. He willed her not to move, or to fight him when he pulled away. They had people coming over and Colton was right there and this was really the wrong time for her to be acting like this.

"You guys makin' out again?" Austin said, herding her kids in the door.

"Yeah, we are. Go away so we can finish," Lindsay retorted.

"Linds, you're embarrassing your husband," Austin shot back.

"Adam?"

"I'm not takin' sides here, but it's time for you to go play hostess dear."

Lindsay grinned and patted his cheek.

"Sorry babe."

"Yeah, you will be."

"Your parents are disgusting," Austin muttered, leaning down to kiss the top of Colton's head.

"They is always kissin'," he replied with a sigh. "All the time. You don't even know."

"Oh I don't huh?"

"No Austin, you gots no idea 'bout this."

"You're sassy like your mama today. What did you eat for breakfast?"

"Cold sketti," he shrugged, finishing off the applesauce and letting his spoon clatter to the table. "C'mon girls and Junior, I show you my new puzzle."

"Colton, be quiet, Ben's taking a nap!"

Her admonishment fell on deaf ears as the kids ran into the other room.

"Cold spaghetti? Sounds more like me than you," Austin noted.

"He wanted it and his daddy didn't feel like talking him out of it."

"I was picking my battles, at six in the morning," Adam said in defense. "And now I am getting out of here before you two start double nagging me."

"Oh whatever."

"I swear it's like having two wives."

"Get outta here," they chorused.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go clean up the other room."

He made a big show of rolling his eyes before he left and they giggled at his departure.

"Our husbands put up with a lot," Austin noted, opening the fridge and getting out the veggie tray.

"How did you know I wanted that?"

"Didn't you ask me?"

"I didn't say a word."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"You gotta get outta my head dude."

"It's scary in there anyway."

They smiled and Austin hopped up onto an empty part of the counter, popping a radish into her mouth.

"Why did I just do that?"

"I don't know but you're not hacking it up into my sink."

"Yeesh," Austin groaned, swallowing the vegetable, then going to the fridge for a can of Coke. "What was I thinking?"

"You were still in my head."

"Gross. Why would you put that on a veggie tray? Like, who eats that crap anyway?"

"Hawkes."

"We need to introduce him to Fried Fridays."

"We really should stop eating like that."

"Speak for yourself. I don't care how much weight I gain, as long as I had fun doin' it."

"And there's the Austin we know and love."

"Hey, speaking of me, how are you?"

Lindsay laughed and shook her head in amusement.

"I'm fine."

"Okay, but in all seriousness now."

"I'm fine, Aust."

"It's winter," she clarified, knowing the effect such a dark and cold season could have on her best friends frame of mind.

"I know. But it doesn't happen every year, and it's not happening this year. There's been days, but that's fairly normal. I'm okay."

"You'd better be," Austin said seriously, stopping to look her in the eye. "I worry about you."

"You don't have to. I'm okay. And if I wasn't, I would tell you."

"Okay."

"Thanks for asking. Adam never asks."

"Why not?"

Lindsay sighed and leaned against the counter, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"I think he's scared of what I might say. He's afraid it'll come back. He's afraid of losing me to it again. It's not that he doesn't care, it's that… it's my job to tell him and he's not going to give me the easy way out. And I think he doesn't want me to think that he's always looking at me like something's going to happen."

"You two are really good at avoiding things."

"Maybe at first, but we're good at talking it through later."

"Linds, do you ever feel like something's wrong with you?"

"No. I used to, but now I know it's not my fault and it's not something that's wrong, it's just something that's not completely right. I do worry about it happening to the boys and I wonder if they'll have to deal with it as much as I have, but I think if I'm honest about it and if they know what it is they'll be able to deal with it better."

Austin sighed and reached out to tug on Lindsay's hair.

"You know you can always tell me this stuff, right?"

"I know. And I do. Believe me, you know everything."

"Okay."

"Thanks for not… being scared by it or making me deal with it alone."

"Never. I'm always gonna be around, you can't get rid of me."

"I know."

"I think we've filled up our sappiness quota for the year."

"And then some."

They grinned together, knowing that for conversations like this, the sappiness quota would never quite be filled.

"I'm a pirate!" Colton shouted, brandishing his play sword and waving it in the air.

"I Isabeth Swan and I is the girl pirate!" Isa declared, her hands on her hips. "You Jack Sparrow?"

"Savvy!"

Sarah giggled as she watched them, almost more content with seeing it play out than trying to figure out which character she could play.

"C'mon Isabeth Swan, we gotsa get all the gold 'afore Captain Bobonose gives it to all hims pirates."

"You try wearin' a corset!" Isa replied, galloping off into the kitchen.

"Avast!" Colton hollered, following her with Sarah on his heels.

"Dead men don't tell no tales!" she added.

Lindsay and Austin looked at each other, raising their eyebrows and grinning.

"Obviously they've seen that movie one too many times."

They both looked over at Adam who held his hands up in innocence.

"You two go out to lunch for four hours, what was I supposed to do? I just wanted the screaming to stop!"

"You didn't think of a different movie?" Flack asked.

"It was either that or Animal House and I didn't think their mothers would appreciate that."

"You guys own Animal House?" Austin asked, half shocked.

"Just because we own it doesn't mean we watch it."

"I'm kind of proud right now. I'd be prouder if you would come clean about knowing the entire Thriller dance."

"I do not know it!" Lindsay defended, crossing her arms. "I swear."

"You're a liar."

"Shut up, Messer. I've caught you singing to Britney Spears."

"I was reminiscing!"

"How do you and Danny deal with them?" Flack said with a raised eyebrow.

"We normally turn on EPSN and drown them out."

"Which we don't mind because we're usually talking about them anyway."

"And how."

Adam and Flack shook their heads in unison, and Flack looked towards the door.

"When are the rest of the guys getting here? I'm feeling outnumbered."

"Danny and Hawkes get off work at ten. One more hour of the female chatter."

"Hey, I haven't said a word!" Jess admonished.

"Nah, you're okay," Adam assured. "Besides, you're pregnant and would kill me if I said any different."

"Probably true," she granted, shrugging and turning back to Dick Clark.

Three pairs of feet ran across the room again, stopping in front of the couch. The kids all had sweet looks on their faces and Colton even put his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth, a full body version of the puppy dog face.

"Mama?"

"Colton?"

"Um, we's gonna stay up late, right?"

"Yeah, if you're good."

"So can we watch a movie in the big bed?"

"It's okay with me if it's okay with Austin."

"Austin, you can say yes please?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," she said, reaching over to take the barrette out of Sarah's hair.

"Mama, can we watch like um, not a cartoon? Can we watch Princess Bride?"

"As you wish. Why don't you go get your jammies on first?"

"Well, I don't think so because I'm not going to bed yet of course."

"I know you're not, but in case you fall asleep, I don't have to change your clothes later. And you'll be more comfortable."

"But I would like to not be in my jammies," he said in the most diplomatic voice he could muster.

"Well I would like you to be and I trump you," she returned.

"But mama-"

"No buts," Adam cut in. "Mama asked you to do something and you need to go and do it."

"I don't want to," he said, raising his voice a little.

"Well that's too bad."

He stomped his foot and stared them down.

"I said no."

"Colton," Lindsay began, reaching for his arm to pull him closer so she could talk to him.

"You almost catched Jack Sparrow," he said, jerking his arm away and crossing it over his chest.

"You need to go to your room."

"No thanks. The girls is here so I can't do that right now."

"You most certainly can do that right now and you will."

"No," he said determinedly. "I will not."

"Colton," Adam warned in the most stern voice he had ever had to use on his son. "Go to your room."

"I am telling you no right now, okay?"

"That is not acceptable and you know it."

"Shut up, mama."

A hush fell over the room and Lindsay and Adam could do nothing but stare at their son, wondering where he had heard such a thing. Sure, they flung it at each other, but only in fun, never in a real argument. How had he known to use it like that? And more importantly, how in the world had their sweet little boy turned into an antagonistic, defiant, borderline brat?

"That's it," Adam said, feeling an anger that he had never felt before. "Go to your room right now."

Colton must have sensed the gravity of what he had said, because his chin quivered just a little before he stomped off into his room and slammed the door.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea," Lindsay said softly, squeezing Adam's hand and trying to relieve some of the tension she could feel building in him. They'd been lucky up until now, discipline had consisted of nothing more than reminders and time outs. Neither one of them had ever had the chance to really be mad at their son because it all seemed to pass fairly quickly. Adam had never had to worry about getting mad and lashing out, which he would never do, but didn't want to think about either. But intentional disobedience was totally new territory.

"I not like Colt when he bein' mean," Isa said, looking quite shocked herself. She had her moments, but nothing nearly as bad as what she had just witnessed. To say she was disappointed would have been fairly accurate.

"I'll go talk to him," Lindsay decided, standing up from the couch. She didn't really want to but someone had to and Adam was definitely not feeling confident enough to go through with it. She made her way into the bedroom and found Colton pacing the floor, and chewing on his finger. His head snapped up when she entered and he glared at her.

"I want my daddy."

"Well you've got me instead. Tough cookies."

"I'm not happy."

"Neither am I. Sit down."

Grudgingly he plopped down on his bed and looked up at her with wide eyes until she crouched down to his level.

"Now what was that all about?"

"I don't wanna wear my jammies."

"I understand that. But why did you use such rude words?"

"You makin' me mad, mama. You not listening to me."

"I was listening to you, but you're the kid and I'm the mama and if I tell you to do something you need to do it."

"But I don't wanna."

"There's a lot of things I don't want to do that I have to do. That doesn't matter. Daddy already talked to you about obeying us."

"But the girls is here."

"I don't care. They're already in their jammies anyway."

"I don't want to go to bed."

"I didn't say you had to. Maybe you weren't listening to me."

He crossed his arms and tried to breathe over the tears that were threatening.

"I just want my daddy!"

"Daddy's going to tell you the same thing I'm telling you."

"But I want him!" he wailed finally, throwing himself down on the bed. "He always gone workin' and he never playin' with me no more!"

Lindsay sighed as she realized what this was really about. She couldn't excuse what he had said and done, they had had too many conversations about how he was supposed to act and she didn't want to confuse him by saying it was all okay. But at the same time she knew where it was coming from, and it really didn't surprise her all that much. Adam had been working a lot, at least six days a week, and often times he didn't get home until the boys were asleep. She missed him too and often developed her own surly attitude when she hadn't spent enough time with him. He held them all together.

"Colton, I understand that you miss daddy. I really do. But that is no excuse for bad behavior. Do you know that?"

"Yes, I know. I just want my daddy."

She sighed and brushed his hair back from his face.

"Okay. Stay here."

Standing up, she went into the other room and crooked her finger at Adam.

"Linds, if he's-"

"He's not. He misses you."

"That's no excuse."

"I know that and he knows that, but I think you need to go in there and talk to him about it. Right now it's going to mean something coming from you. He doesn't want me."

"Okay," he sighed. "I'm just kind of… mad at him."

"I know. That's okay, no one ever said you can't be mad at your kid."

"The way he talked to you…"

"Don't worry about that right this minute. Just go in there and talk to him."

He nodded and she stretched up to kiss him softly before he went.

"Colton?"

"Daddy, I sorry. I not 'posed to talk like that. I done so much bad."

Adam leaned down and drew his son into his arms, holding him tightly and finding that the love and compassion far outweighed the spark of anger.

"I know you're sorry and we'll talk about that in a minute. Right now I need you to tell me what's bothering you."

"You always workin' daddy. All the time. We don't get to play like before. I gotta play dinosaurs all by myself 'cuz Ben's too little and mama don't know how. You always gone, daddy. You even love me?"

"Of course I love you. I love you and Ben and mama more than anything in the world. That doesn't change, no matter how much I work. Never. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry I've had to work so much. I don't want to but sometimes you just have to."

"Could I go to work with you?"

"No, we can't do that."

"But I could help you with your job. I could find fingerprints, daddy, I really could! I could help you and then we could be together and I not have to miss you no more!"

Adam chuckled and shook his head.

"I wish we could do that son, but we can't. I want you to know that every time you miss me, I miss you too."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You have to work tomorrow?"

"No, I don't. Should we go and do something, just me and you?"

"Yeah! We could do that?"

"Yes we could."

"I'm very happy about that."

"Good. Now we need to talk about something else."

"How I bein' bad."

"Yeah. You know that was wrong, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I'm very upset by the way you talked to your mama. She didn't deserve that. It made me really mad because I love her so much and I don't like it when anyone treats her that way."

"I very sorry. I love mama too, I really promise."

"I know you do."

"What we gonna do, 'bout it?"

"I think first you're going to apologize to mama."

"And then be grounded huh?"

"Yes."

"For four days from the TV and the games?"

"I think that's fair."

Colton sighed.

"But what 'bout watchin' a movie with the girls?"

Adam balked a little at that. He knew it was best to carry out the consequence immediately, but it wasn't fair to punish Isa and Sarah by proxy.

"I'll tell you what. Tonight you can watch a movie with the girls like we promised. But tomorrow morning your punishment starts. It doesn't mean that what you did was okay, but sometimes we have to make exceptions."

"I can get my jammies on, then 'pologize to mama now."

"You do that. I'll send her in."

Colton nodded and rubbed at his eyes. He always hated apologizing and saying that he had done something wrong. It made his tummy hurt. But like daddy said, he had to be a man and own up to his mistakes, not matter how much he didn't like to.

"Hey buddy."

"Hi mama."

"Daddy said you have something to tell me."

"I sayin' I sorry for talkin' mean and sayin' the shut up words and for not havin' respect and for not obeyin'."

"I forgive you."

"I love you mama, I promise, really."

"I know you do, Colton. I know."

He sat up and launched himself into her arms, sniffling the last of his distress away. She kissed his head and rubbed his back and rocked him gently back and forth until he calmed back to normal.

"Okay, it's all over now. Let's get your jammies on and you can watch a movie with the girls."

They changed his clothes quickly and she went into the bedroom to put the movie in while he went to get the girls.

"You not gonna be mean no more, right Colt?" Isa asked, her hand on her hip.

"Right Colt?" Sarah echoed softly.

"I not be mean no more, I promise. Let's go watch the movie. And not be scared of the big rats or the six-fingered man."

Grinning, the girls followed him into the other room just as Lindsay was coming out.

"No jumping on the bed, you hear me?"

"Yes mama."

"We not jumpin' Indy!"

"I make sure, Auntie."

Lindsay snickered and sat down on the couch, pulling her legs up underneath her and leaning into Adam's side.

"You're a good daddy," she whispered.

He didn't respond, just gave her a half smile.

"You are, Adam. I swear. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

She leaned up and kissed him, knowing that no matter what this new year brought them, they would still be just as happy, together, and in love as they were right now.